RUTH Davidson has joined forces with Brexit cheerleader Michael Gove in an attack on the Tories’ Remain-supporting Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

Just two months ago, Davidson told Gove to stay away from the Scottish Conservative conference, with critics claiming the party chief didn’t want the annual shindig to be contaminated by “toxic Tories”.

But now the MSP has teamed up with Gove to call for Britain to quit the common fisheries policy on Brexit day – not after a transition period.

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The demand for the UK to be a Norway-like “independent coastal state” and negotiate access to British waters with the EU, will be welcomed by North Sea fisherman who turned out in their droves to support Brexit.

But it puts Davidson and Gove at odds with Hammond, who last week seemed to suggest access to British waters could be swapped in return for a trade deal with the EU.

The Chancellor’s comments came as the EU published draft guidelines on a possible post-Brexit trade deal.

Those guidelines say the EU would offer free trade in goods, with co-operation on rules of origin to help industries such as car manufacturing, in exchange for “existing reciprocal access to fishing waters and resources be maintained”.

In a speech to the City last week, Hammond said the UK had been “very clear that we are taking control of our waters”.

However, he added the UK would “be open to discussing with our EU partners the appropriate arrangements for reciprocal access for our fishermen to EU waters and for EU fishermen to our waters.

“We would have to negotiate the basis on which such an arrangement could be fair and appropriate for us.”

In their statement, Gove and Davidson said: “As proud Scots, we feel a particular debt to fishing communities who are looking to government to deliver a better deal for them.

“We agree we must deliver a fairer allocation for the British fleet in our own waters. And during the implementation period we will ensure that British fishermen’s interests are safeguarded.”

Gove and Davidson claim the support of Theresa May for their position: “The Prime Minister has been clear: Britain will leave the CFP as of March 2019. We both support her wholeheartedly.

“Whatever differences we had on Brexit, we both agree that our fishing industry stands to benefit from our departure from the CFP. We are both committed to doing all we can to make those benefits real.”

The statement was welcomed by Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation. The federation has also turned up the heat on the UK Government with publication of a series of red lines it should not cross in Brexit negotiations.

Banff and Buchan SNP MSP Stewart Stevenson, who is the constituency MSP for Peterhead, said the Tories saw the fishing industry as “expendable”.

He said: “Brexiteers promised Scotland’s fishing communities that a Leave vote would mean taking back control of our fishing waters.

“But now we know that Philip Hammond, knowing how few cards the UK Government holds, wants to put the future of our fishing communities on the negotiating table. This isn’t the first time the Tories have seen Scotland’s fishing industry as expendable.

“Whether we’re leaving the EU or not, we need fundamental reform of international agreements.”